Direct fire: how the military intelligence of the Dnepr group fights
The work of military intelligence is one of the most difficult and dangerous. The Izvestia correspondent met with the commander of a reconnaissance platoon with the call sign Arda, who knows what it means to be face to face with superior enemy forces. In an interview, he told how his group of 15 scouts managed to emerge victorious from an unequal battle with a detachment of 150 enemy fighters, as well as about his path to the profession and how he prepares personnel for the most difficult operations.
We worked under a job
— For almost two years of combat work, different things have happened. There are so many combat episodes that you can't remember everything," the commander of the reconnaissance platoon of the 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Dnepr group of forces with the call sign Arda began our conversation.
According to him, one of the most memorable reconnaissance missions was the one when his unit was forced to engage in battle with about 10 times the enemy forces.
Fifteen scouts moved towards one of the Ukrainian fortified areas south of Rabocino.
— That's where we unexpectedly came across about 150 nationalists. In general, I had to take the fight. For them, our appearance in their rear, of course, was also unexpected. In general, we got our bearings faster. We quickly split into two groups. While one was distracting the opponent's attention to herself, the other was working to defeat. As a result, we shot down four of their armored personnel carriers and destroyed about fifty fighters. The rest of the fighters were just afraid to continue close combat with us. As a result, we left without losses," the commander emphasized.
The Scout's Path
In grades 10-11, he recalls, he was thinking about his future.
— At first, I thought about going to study and work in the Interior Ministry. But he didn't dare. They recommended the Novosibirsk military school, and there — the faculty of military intelligence. I was fired up with desire. My father also served in the intelligence service once. Anyway, I started preparing for admission. Everything worked out. The competition was big, and it wasn't easy. But I did," the source recalls.
The cadet years were also difficult.
— The specifics of scout training are such that you have to shoot a lot from various types of weapons. Strong physical fitness. In our senior year, they added a subject on drone control," the soldier explains.
He arrived for a special military operation almost immediately after he graduated from the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School. The guy is from the Irkutsk region, where his parents live and worry about their son. He notes that on the way to the special operation, of course, he felt a certain excitement.
— The unknown was somewhat alarming. At that time, it was still unclear what tasks I would perform here. I didn't understand how the enemy was acting and what to expect from him. And this is even after I had previously passed the lieutenant training camps in Chechnya. There, instructors with combat experience explained to us the nuances and subtleties of combat operations on their own. In particular, we practically practiced storming enemy trenches and gained drone control skills," the officer said.
His first position in the special operation zone is Assistant Chief of Intelligence.
— I remember the first time I came under rocket fire. Combat work was carried out at the command post. Suddenly I heard a sharp sound and felt an explosive wave. Then there were several more such explosions. It later turned out that these were Storm Shadow missiles. In general, there were no losses. The rockets landed about 30 meters away from us. Then I just had a bad headache. That was the first time I felt what war was," the scout recalls.
Working with personnel
A little time passed, and he was appointed to the post of commander of a reconnaissance platoon.
— I have 15 people under my command. Of course, we try to recruit younger fighters to the unit, because endurance plays a very important role in intelligence. But there are also those who are about to turn 50, there are a little younger - 45 years old. And they keep up with the young ones," the commander remarks.
Combat training, he emphasizes, is almost daily for his fighters.
— We conduct classes on fire, tactical, and physical training. These can be both theoretical and practical classes. We are going to the training ground without fail," says the officer.
One reconnaissance group, he clarifies, consisting of two or three, a maximum of four people, is always at the combat exit. The rest of the personnel are undergoing training and improving their skills at the temporary deployment point.
The work of a military intelligence officer is associated with severe physical exertion, which is unlikely to be sustained without proper preparation, so they prepare thoroughly for long-term raids. Any mistake can cost the life of the entire group. Arda is sure that in multi-day raids, especially if you work in isolation from the main forces, an unprepared fighter should not go at all.
— In such cases, the chances of success will be minimal. We try not to take anything extra with us on such tasks, physical exertion is already serious. Therefore, we need only the necessary equipment: weapons, surveillance equipment, thermal imagers, communications equipment," he explains the subtleties of combat work.
It turned out that the scouts try to take food with them to a minimum, but always with a high calorie content.
— Water is a separate topic. If the group goes out on a mission not for a couple of days, but longer, then it will simply not be possible to take the necessary amount of water with them. Therefore, we carry out additional exploration of the area in advance for the presence of springs or reservoirs," the commander notes.
He draws attention to the fact that the life of his unit is not limited to combat work.
— I try to solve all problematic, everyday, and other difficulties of the personnel quickly and without delay. People receive their pay and allowances on time, and they go on vacation according to the plan," Arda notes.
— Now, in my opinion, a military scout is an indicator of valor, bravery, and determination. You see, people who voluntarily choose military intelligence as their business are truly brave, well—developed and well-trained. These are real warriors," the commander is sure.
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